DisneypullsTinyDeathStarandStarWarsAssaultTeamfromtheAppStore

In a surprising and disappointing move, Disney has pulled two of its popular “Star Wars”-themed iOS games from the App Store. Tiny Death Star and Star Wars Assault Team are no longer available to download, in a decision reportedly made so Disney can “focus on priority titles like the Clash of Clans-like Star Wars Commander,” according to a statement provided by the company.

Oddly, developer NimbleBit was not informed that Tiny Death Star was set to be pulled from the App Store, according to GameInformer. The publication spoke with developer NimbleBit, which explained:

We’re very disappointed to see Tiny Death Star shuttered less than a year after launch. We had no prior knowledge that the game would be removed and no longer even have a contact at Disney after the recent layoffs. Suffice to say if you’re a developer looking to partner with Disney this might not be the partnership you’re looking for.

Ouch. As mentioned, Star Wars Assault Team, which first launched on the App Store back in March this year, has also been removed.

All I can say is that this is a real shame. Since both Tiny Death Star and Star Wars Assault Team utilized free-to-play elements, countless users spent a deal of money (as well as time) in both apps only for Disney to close down both services.

As NimbleBit notes, this does sent out the wrong message to developers looking to partner with Disney. But it also sends out the wrong message to iOS device owners looking to take one of Disney’s free-to-play apps for a spin, too.